Steering Column Problems of BMW Z4 - part 1

The first issue is that the power steering will go out during normal operation of the vehicle making the wheel hard to turn. Additionally, at right about the straight position of the steering wheel the steering will stick (consistently fighting the wheel to stay centered). Staying straight is nearly impossible as you constantly battle the resistance back and forth to keep the vehicle moving in a straight line. It is quite disconcerting and has almost resulted in me side swiping oncoming vehicles on several occasions. I have learned that this is a common problem that BMW never addressed. Researching the matter I've learned that a steering column replacement and labor would be in the $3000-4500 range and the problem would likely reoccur in the future due to faulty design. Worse, as most people in my position are unable to perform a repair at that cost, I've found numerous people manipulating their steering columns with mixed success ultimately creating an even more dangerous potential situation. These methods include drilling into the steering column and adding greases and lubricants that were not designed to work with the vehicle. This is a well-known problem, with no shortage of records and accounts establishing this isn't a "if it happens", but when it happens. Drive a vehicle with this problem, I dare you, and tell me it is not a major safety hazard. Disappointed. I'd appreciate if BMW would reach out to me and remedy the issue. There is no reason that a steering wheel, one of the most basic and necessary systems on a car to maintain control, should have been permitted to be defective with no remedy at the cost of the manufacturer. The lack of accountability by BMW and "do it yourself" remedies will undoubtedly result in injury or death if they have not already. BMW should provide a fix for those Z4s affected still on the road before someone is killed.

See all problems of the 2003 BMW Z4 🔎.

Steering is no longer smooth or safe, takes 2 hands and even on straight road has to be moved in jerks side to side, as if someone else is holding the wheel and fighting back when you try to turn wheel. Warm is worse and on highway at speed almost impossible to keep straight. On my drive Monday had I had to make an evasive move I would not have been able to and would have been in a head on collision. In hawaii it is always over 80 degrees on highway. When first turned on in garage it is not nearly as bad. But after couple minutes it is nearly impossible to maintain chosen direction. Evasive action now impossible and told by dealer that an entire new steering column is required and that this is a very common problem in Z4s from 2004-2006. Has only 18,000 miles on it. In flawless shape. In 2012 with 11,442 miles on the car the steering was doing the same thing. My father who bought the car new, the car took it to the dealer who replaced the entire steering column. Thus the car now has 7,000 more miles and again I am told it needs another steering column replacement for $6000. From investigating others who have had the same issue it is the unsealed bearing in the middle of the column that the lubricant dries and hardens onto. That bearing can be dug out, cleaned off and new lubricant applied. But this is only a temporary fix. The lubricant will dry and harden requiring another costly (quoted at $1700) opening and cleaning/lubricating. The 2007 models have had 0 complaints so somewhere along the way BMW fixed the unsealed bearing problem. I am asking for a new steering column with one of the sealed bearing assemblies to be installed by the BMW dealer at their cost.

See all problems of the 2005 BMW Z4 🔎.

I have a 2003 Z4 with 25k miles. The steering wheel sticks while driving making it difficult to steer. Spoke with a BMW mechanic and was informed this is a known issue for this particular vehicle and that I will need to replace the steering column to correct the problem. The cost is $3000. Why is there not a recall??.

When driving at highway speeds and more so when the temp is warm or steering column has warmed up the steering becomes "sticky", in that it takes an effort to overcome the spot it is in as opposed to smoothly moving/steering left or right. It is uncomfortable to steer with one hand (6 spd manual transmission) as it feels like you are going to over correct the steering when trying to make minor adjustments to maintain driving down the center of your lane. Especially when driving in heavy freeway traffic! i35w minneapolis, mn.

See all problems of the 2004 BMW Z4 🔎.

Over the past couple years I've noticed sticky steering but am just reporting now. At most speeds I've had the steering stick and not return to neutral. Often needing to react or overcorrect. I've noticed an increase in occurrence and severity the warmer the ambient temp is. When steering around a curve the steering wheel doesn't want to come back to neutral without corrective action. This afternoon the ambient temp was about 90f and with occured at every movement of the steering wheel. I fear that this is going to be the cause of an accident and really takes away from the enjoyment of driving this car. I've read many complaints on this site and all over the internet describing the same issue. Other reports I've read state that the dealers recommended repair is replacement of the entire steering column at a cost of $3000-$4000.

Sticky steering which was diagnosed as caused by a poorly designed bearing in the steering column estimated cost of repair $3500. A wide spread problem dangerous especially at high speed. Power assist is electrical on steering.

My 2003 BMW Z4 has very tight steering when driving on the freeway at 65 mph, and I notice the problem is more common on warmer days. Last week as I was driving on a warm day, I noticed I had to repeatedly put significant effort in order to turn the steering wheel on a turn on the freeway, as the steering wheel kept sticking. Whenever I've applied this significant effort to get around this issue, the steering unsticks and then turns too much. On that day, I was very close to hitting the car in the lane next to me, causing the car next to me to swerve a bit as well to avoid me. It wasn't the first time that this happened to me with this car, and it was incredibly dangerous. I took it to a repair shop and they said it's a very common issue with this car and the entire steering column would have to be replaced. I believe BMW, which prides itself in the quality of it's vehicles, should take the initiative to resolve this issue, as it's a huge safety concern for drivers of this vehicle. Just by doing a simple google search, it's very apparent that this is a common issue with early year Z4's.

The steering sticks at all speeds and turning radius to the point you can barely control the steering with both hands. The only repair solution is the replacement of the entire steering column at parts $3-4,000 & labor $1-2,000 it's a life threatening hazard and should be recalled vs BMW waiting for a huge class action law suit! the vehicle has only approximately 65k miles way too soon for catastrophic failure of a major mechanical system widely known and suffered by BMW enthusiasts � not "the ultimate driving machine!".

I bought a 2005 BMW Z4 about a month ago. The first couple of weeks, everything was fine. However, as the temperature outside rose, I noticed that the steering started sticking, making it hard to drive. For example, yesterday, as I was changing lanes on a local highway, I had trouble changing lanes, and almost hit another car because of the sticking problem. Based on what I've heard, I believe this problem is being caused by a defective bearing in the steering column.

Tl the contact owns a 2004 BMW Z4. While driving approximately 45 mph, the steering wheel seized. The steering unlocked on its own after fifteen minutes of driving. The contact also stated that the vehicle was purchased from an individual back in April of 2018 and the failure occurred ever since. The vehicle was taken to BMW of chattanooga (6806 e brainerd road, chattanooga, TN 37421) where it was diagnosed that the steering column needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

Steering jerky just purchased a used BMW 2004 Z4 only 50,000 miles and drove fine for a few days then it got real hot outside and now the steering is jerking me around. Feels like when I try to keep the car in the lines I am having to fight the steering wheel. Upon researching the problem seems this is a very common dangerous problem and this needs to be recalled. This is going to cause an accident. Very dangerous to have to fight to keep the car in the lines of the road. BMW wants to charge to replace the whole column at 3800. 00 . Appears they recalled 2006-2007 BMW other models for this same thing. The 2003-2004 Z4 should also be recalled.

2003 BMW Z4 steering I experience sudden jerks in the steering wheel, more so at higher speeds, around 60mph and above. The jerks are unpredictable and can be either to the right or the left. It makes the car really unsafe to be driven at these higher speeds! I believe this is a known problem by BMW and should be a recall issued to correct it! from what I understand it requires a complete steering column replacement and is very costly. BMW should step up and cover this very dangerous steering situation.

Sudden loss of power steering causing the car to be very difficult to control. When reading known issues regarding the BMW Z4, this appears to be a very common safety problem. There is a known recall on these vehicles for this problem, however, it does not include my vehicle make, model, year. My vehicle was in motion in heavy city traffic when the steering became sticky, causing the car to pull to the right and ultimately hitting a curb causing damage to the right lower wheel well and door panel. My vehicle is currently sitting in a repair shop waiting on finding a steering column that will not cost $3800 - $4000 to replace.

2003 BMW Z4 steering is binding up and difficult to steer. Problem gets worse as the temp increases. Numerous online complaints and no recall. Why? BMW will do nothing , not even a cost replacement of the steering column which seems to fix the issue.

Steering column experience sudden jerks to the left, or to the right randomly making the car really difficult to drive safely. It's worse when driving on a highway. All tires psi are normal and tires just brand new. Car was aligned to discard everything. Even with many similar issues from other customers BMW is not accepting this failure as one to recall. But when I gets into the dealerships they diagnose that the hole steering column needs to be replaced at my expense. My car has only 86,000 miles and this is been happening since vehicle had 80,000 miles.

Steering column experience sudden jerks to the left, or to the right randomly making the car really difficult to drive safely. It's worse when driving on a highway. All tires psi are normal and tires just brand new. Car was aligned to discard everything. Even with many similar issues from other customers BMW is not accepting this failure as one to recall. But when I gets into the dealerships they diagnose that the hole steering column needs to be replaced at my expense. My car has only 42,000 miles.

On warm days the steering on my 2006 BMW Z4 becomes unresponsive and unpredictable. On hot days it is downright dangerous. I have read in many places that this is due to a design defect in the steering column. One source who is an ase-certified master technician says that the "BMW Z4 sticky steering is related to a manufacturing defect, that has been rectified as of 2007 and up. There is a bearing located in the middle of the steering column that is not sealed. With time and when hot, the lubricant gets dry and gums up. To make matters worse, there is not a race for the bearing to ride in � the inner race is actually the steering shaft itself, which is a poor design". My vehicle was built in 2006 and has only 54,000 miles on it. BMW apparently was aware of this problem and corrected it the following model year. There are many complaints on the NHTSA website about the same problem, which could get worse over time. BMW should issue a recall before someone gets seriously hurt.

See all problems of the 2006 BMW Z4 🔎.

Tl the contact owns a 2005 BMW Z4. While operating the vehicle, the steering wheel felt tight and was difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to apple BMW (2208, 1370 roosevelt Ave, york, PA 17404, (717) 845-6689) where it was diagnosed that the entire steering column needed to be replaced. The manufacturer stated that they could not assist since there was no recall and the vehicle was no longer under warranty. The failure occurred ever since the vehicle was purchased. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 63,000.

Sticky / notched steering at highway speed. Feels unsafe jerks after about 30 minutes of driving. Just bought this used z-4 in September 2016. Only has 98000 miles service mgr tells me that the only fix is to replace the steering column at a cost of $4300. Issue should be corrected by a BMW recall before a serious accidents happens. Car is unsafe to drive and parked in garage.

Sticky / notched steering. Feels unsafe jerks when temperature is hot or after about 30 minutes of driving. Just bought this used z-4 from BMW dealer 1 week ago. Only has 58000 miles which is low for 2005. Just came back from the dealer and the service agent tells me that the only fix is to replace the steering column at a cost of $4300. Waiting to hear back from dealers management since that is 1/3 of what I bought the car for. I can not afford to pay another $4300 for the dream car I finally got and only driven one week. From what I read and after seeing all the complaints, a recall should occur. Happens under normal driving conditions. Must be corrected by a BMW recall before serious accidents happen.

Takata recall. I'm having problems with my BMW Z4 2003 the steering wheel is getting notchy and sometimes it gets stuck in the left or right position. I replaced the steering column and it still doing the same thing. Need help.

Steering gets "stuck" while driving. Feels like your in a rut. 35k on the vehicle and the BMW dealer said the steering column must be replaced for $4538. 41. I read on the internet the issues with the steering column issues for cars 2003-2005. Many have the same issues and BMW had no recalls on the cars. It is a safety issue to drive the cars. I know there have been many other complaints filed with nhsta and wondering what was done with the issue. I only drive 1500 miles per year and it started late last summer and is now undriveable because of safety issues.

The steering gets jerky in warmer weather making the car extremely difficult to handle. The steering almost appears to have gotten stuck in a notch on the column and forces the driver to put extra force into turning the wheel to correct it. The problem seems to occur when driving at highway speeds and when the temps are above 80. When driving at slower speeds this doesn't appear to happen. In doing some research online this issue appears to happen with most 2003-2005 Z4s without any resolution. The cars should be recalled and fixed.

I have a 2004 BMW Z4 2. 51 VIN number 4usbt33564lr69616 - the electronic steering eps has completely failed, and is inoperable. This is a known issue, on many many cars, and after contacting BMW north America, they said the only solution is to have a BMW dealer replace the entire steering column (their engineering problem) at a cost of $4000. I told them this was unacceptable. I have been to many mechanics and they have no answers for this problem other then going to BMW it is failed 90% of the time, and impossible to steer at times my odb2 reader reads the system information as sw-v5. 2 ss200381 part number 6763764 coding index 03 diagnosis index 04e1 variant index 474a hardware number 01 date dd. Mm. Yyyy 10. 12. 2003 error 610feeprom, no risk.

My car has the commonly reported problem with the electronic power steering unit. I bought the car used in April 2015 from stevens creek BMW. The power steering worked fine. I began to encounter problems in early 2016. The steering began to tighten up and would not allow the wheels to self straighten upon acceleration. I first learned of the problem when entering a freeway from an on ramp. The steering, instead of allowing me to ease gently into a traffic lane, wanted to continue to pull me left into the center divider. I was able to yank the wheel and avoid an accident. I then researched and learned about the common power steering issue and learned that a grease fitting into the steering column could help. I then learned that my vehicle had already been fitted with such a grease fitting. Additional grease then alleviated the problem temporarily. Eventually additional grease became less effective and I learned to drive with steering that was stiff and prone to stickiness. Recently (December 2017), the power steering began to entirely shut off intermittently. It shuts off and then turns on again after restarting the car. The car is therefore no longer drivable for safety reasons. I've learned that the power steering unit needs to be replaced entirely with a part cost of $3,400. Given the broad based occurrence of this issue on 2003-2005 (and even some 2006) cars, this must be seen as a serious product safety defect worthy of a recall by BMW.

Reported this problem to you in 2006--odi 10496814- sticky steering-which can cause the driver to jerk the wheel hard and lose control of the vehicle- I have read there are well over 100 complaints on this problem- BMW has, some at my cost, replaced the steering column twice and now what to do the 3rd time, at my cost. This would make four columns, counting the original one, and this car only has 14,000 miles. There a big problem with there engineering on this problem. My understanding, there is a unsealed bearing inside the column that fails. You cannot replace the bearing-BMW does not list this as a part. It is about time that NHTSA find a fix for this problem before somebody is hurt or killed. In 2010 the USA reported over 107 complaints and one crash.

When the weather gets warm around at least 80's, the steering becomes very sticky. It can be difficult to control in low and high speeds and can definitely cause an accident. This is a known manufacturing defect and the only fix is to change the whole steering column in which BMW does not want to pay for. This is a highway safely issue and should be fixed by doing a recall. A lot of Z4 has these problem it just in different severity. I have contacted BMW several times about this issue. They want me to pay for the replacement when this should have been recalled.

The contact owns a 2004 BMW Z4. While driving at 55 mph, the steering wheel turned in both directions independently. The contact had to constantly maneuver the steering wheel in order to keep the vehicle in position. The vehicle was taken to a dealer who diagnosed that the steering servo column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 27,500.

Sticky or jerking steering while driving BMW 2003 Z4, first attempt was to take the car to authorized BMW dealer in July 2013 , mileage 27,756. Suggested result was to replace entire steering column. 2nd attempt to resolve problem, April 2014 mileage 28,844. Lubricate upper steering wheel bearing. 3rd attempt, may2015, mileage 31,098. Installed grease fitting into steering column. Now at 32,000 miles car is unsafe to drive. BMW needs to recognize this issue with Z4 models from 2003 -June 2006 production.

On a hot day while traveling over 40 mph, the steering becomes "sticky"; that is it get stuck in a position and you have to physically jerk the wheel to adjust the steering which is very dangerous at higher speeds. This only happens in warm weather-above 70 degrees fahrenheit. I recently experienced this on I-95 while traveling to philadelphia. I noticed this before and I reported this to BMW of alexandria (now arlington) and they replaced the steering box, lower joint assembly - total cost $1,721 - this was at 69,000 miles. The problem is back and as bad or worse. I have read of this problem on BMW forums where the entire steering column must be replaced at about $4,000. What I don't understand is why this isn't a recall item as it definitely is a safety issue. Gary dittmer.

I purchased a 2004 BMW Z4 convertible 2 months ago. For the first month, the car drove perfectly. The last month, the car has become undriveable due to a "sticky steering wheel" and the steering wheel locking (the steering wheel will not move). I have taken it to 2 separate dealerships and they have told me that the steering column needs to be replaced. The car is quite dangerous to drive at the moment and after reading about this issue online, it appears to be an issue in which a factory recall was set to be released.

The contact owns a 2004 BMW Z4. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 mph, the steering wheel locked without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician stated that the steering column should be replaced, however, the repairs should not be considered a permanent fix since the failure occurs during warm weather conditions. The failure recurred on various occasions. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 68,000. The VIN was not available.

The contact owns a 2004 BMW Z4. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to shift gears. The vehicle was taken to a dealer. The technician diagnosed that the steering column failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 43,000.

BMW Z4 2007 - steering wheel pulls hard to the right. When corrected pulls hard to the left and vice-versa. I've taken the vehicle in 5 times in the last year to 3 different certified mechanics thinking it has to do with the alignment but the issue is not resolved. I have been advised by a private certified mechanic that this is likely due to a steering column defect, for which the 2003-2005 BMW Z4's were recalled. The vehicle is difficult to control and dangerous to drive at any speed over 40 mph. The local dealership completed another alignment last week, is not acknowledging the steering problem and claims that the vehicle is ok. I am now dealing with customer relations at BMW-USA but no action for assistance with this factory defect will be considered until the local dealership's service department acknowledges the problem and quotes the repair. I have lost confidence in the vehicle and at his point the it sits in my driveway because it is unsafe and dangerous on the road.

See all problems of the 2007 BMW Z4 🔎.

The steering column freezes in position and holding the steering it wheel feels like it's being held by a magnet much like a DC motor feels if you try to rotate it. For example after rounding the bend or taking the corner the steering wheel would stay in position and you have to physically turn the steering wheel back to center it's like it's stuck there by magnetic force. I called my BMW dealership and asked the service advisor about this problem. He had no idea what I was talking about then he asked the service forman and was told it's a well known problem and the only fix is to replace the steering column at $3600-4000. If this is a well known problem then why isn't there a recall. And why isn't BMW taking responsibility for a design flaw.